Recreativo Football Club

Tuesday, 3 December 2013

With Jimmy 'The Boss' Lloyd sent on gardening leave
following some indiscretions at a local night club last week, Tom 'Fergie'
Winter was ask to take the reigns. Last season Tom played his part in picking
the team which would eventually get relegated - was this a chance at
redemption? We would find out. Suffering from the dreaded 'man flu' all week,
and ignoring the future wife’s birthday, the Chosen One would not miss his
chance. As the Reccy boys rocked up at what might as well be their new home
pitch (Clapham Common) optimism filled the air.

Like all proper Sunday matches, only the 11 turned up –
which meant my dream of only playing if needed went out of the window. The team
picked itself, the Sunday league classic 4-4-2 - Radu between the sticks, a
flat back four with Mario, Joao, Jamie, Miles, a midfield of Jordan, Andrew,
Ben and Eddy and the deadly combo of Joe and Tom up front. Andrew would swap
with Joe to keep our options open - simple.

The game kicked off and the early signs looked good.

With Reccy moving the ball better than in previous weeks, an
early drive from Eddy resulted in the ball spilling to Tom - the keeper lost
the race to the ball but a defender had read the situation and comfortably
blocked the goal-bound shot.

More pressure followed and eventually Reccy would get their
deserved lead, Jordan causing mayhem down the left flank, keeping to the
by-line and beautifully cutting back to yours truly to slot into the corner.
1-0. As confidence soared the pressure on FC To Madeira mounted, a corner came
a few minutes later and up rocked the big boys. Joao did his usual and smashed
a wonderful header, a stunning reflex save from the keeper kept the ball out of
the net but somehow the ball got played back in and Joao followed up his header
with a left footed scissor kick volley. Brilliant - you might not see a better
Sunday league goal - our own personal Ronaldo. 2-0.

As FC To Maderia collapsed Reccy started to enjoy volumes of
possession, the third coming from some tidy work by Eddy on the left wing as he
cross/shot the ball in. 3-0. Pure dominance.

But this wouldn’t be Sunday League without the dreaded
collapse. FC To Maderia literally had nothing going on and then, out of nothing
they crawled three horrible goals back. That old Sunday league enemy ‘the long
ball’ and before we knew it - 3-3. How? What? Are you serious?

Shakespeare once wrote “Some men are born great, some
achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them” and I’m pretty
certain he was on about football….Tom ‘Fergie’ Winter made the big decision to
change a team, that at times had played FC Maderia off the park. Ben swapped
with Joao to sure up defence, Joao pushed up, Miles swapped with Eddy and Joe
was told to play in a free role behind Tom – Andrew was to stay in the middle
of the park.

The second half kicked off, with the everyone knowing the
first goal would be key, and it came deservedly Reccy's way. A through ball by
Jordan to Tom, who took it first time as the keeper came charging out 4-3. 10
minutes later and Joe in his free role worked some magic on the edge of the box
to place a right footed shot in the corner 5-3 and Reccy were back on top. The
sixth came from some lovely work from Andrew to release Tom down the wing to
cross to Joe for a simple tap in. 6-3 - this had to be it.

How we didn’t score anymore I’ll never know. Joao had
another header saved, Tom (pumped on drugs and goals) thought he would do a
classic FIFA finesse shot by curling the ball in when through. This was then
followed up by what might as well been an open goal when a long throw bounce
past everyone to the penalty spot for an unchallenged header. How he didn’t
walk away with his first Sunday League ever hat-trick I will never know...

FC To Maderia would claim a late consolation to make it 6-4.
The first league win of the season, well deserved, some special mentions to Ben
and Miles, on debut, who both played brilliantly.

Whisper it quietly, the talk on the common was that some
team in red, with a charity sponsorship had finally turned up –
"Barcelona" they said... no... "Reccy"... the English
equivalent.

Tuesday, 12 November 2013

Yet that felt like nothing compared to this never-ending,
nerve-shredding, backs-to-the-wall second-half that somehow ended in a draw.

And then to cap it all off, an inexplicable penalty
shootout... that Reccy WON.

We took the lead early on when Joe H overhit a through-ball
which somehow bounced over their keeper and into the back of the net.

It had shades of Begovic 2013 or, more famously, Pisano
2010.

OK, it may have been a little lucky. But sod that - I'm
still impressed when I see anyone reach the box from the half-way line!

A Chippy equaliser squared things up but then Andrew R
proved he wasn't lying about his Italian heritage with a real golazo from the
edge of the box.

The half-time change of ends did us no favours - and not
because of the usual foes of wind, rain or slopes.

No, it was the glorious early-winter SUN that did for us.

Looking across the pitch and up to the Chippy goal, every
player was a vague Sunday League-shaped silhouette - making it virtually
impossible to work out who was on which team.

Luckily for us, Eddy, Joe D and Jamie G simply tackled
anything that moved instead in a heroic, ball-busting set of shifts.

Chippy were held at bay until the hour mark, when a thumped
header levelled matters.

But some brilliant defending at the end - finishing in a Sam
Allardyce-style 6-3-1 formation - stopped Chippy pinching another.

In fact, with Jordan and Tom W running themselves into the
ground up front, we even had a few half-chances to snatch an improbable win
ourselves.

But just as we were back-slapping and high-fiving at the
final whistle rumours started spreading that, this being a cup group match, we
needed a penalty shootout. A penalty shootout!

Excitingly, though, it WASN'T to decide a winner - just to
separate the teams if we go on to finish level in Group B. Football's most
sickeningly tense tie-breaker reduced to a function of satisfying admin.

Successful spot-kicks from Joe H, Andrew R, Faz and, just
about, Jimmy L, left it 4-4 going into the final round.

A couple of years ago this was a top-flight,
top-of-the-table blockbuster.

But now in the Championship - away from the prying eyes of
the tabloid reporters and Sky cameras - we are free to play out crazy ten-goal
thrillers at the Marshes.

Forced squad rotations saw four more Recreativo debuts -
taking our total number of players this year to 22. Twenty two! And we still
only had the bare 11 out there.

Some sloppy defending led to three first-half Ladzio goals,
all speedy breakaway moves that were tidily tucked away.

Disaster struck when Ladzio made it 4-0 just after the break.

But you know what? We started scoring. Finally.

Was it the Mourinho-like tactical shake-up at half-time?

No. More likely the refreshments kindly provided by the Zaga
Supermarket, Clapton.

Actually, no again. It was most likely the series of
brilliant free-kicks from Joe Haley - and the deadly conversions that followed.

First, Tom W flashed a header into the far corner.

The ginger Pele was at it again when he sent in another for
our Italian new-boy Toni to flick in. Game on.

Ladzio were on the rocks now and Toni scored a cracking solo
goal, picking up a long-ball, driving through their backline and slipping past
their keeper.

Fifteen minutes earlier we were on the end of a proper
hammering. But now, at 4-3, and Joe H sending in his laser free-kicks were we
right back in it.

We were not even put off by a Ladzio goal. 5-3, with 20
minutes to go. Twenty minutes!

Andrew R - who had hit the post at 4-3 (I think. Who really
knows what on earth was happening in those zany 25 minutes?) capped an
impressive second-half performance by scoring from another Joe H free-kick.

But then. Another goal from Ladzio finally killed off a
ballsy Reccy fightback.

If Recreativo 2010 or Ladzio 2009 could have seen this then
they probably would have all stopped playing and just starting talking about
the global economic collapse for a bit of light relief.

Yet we displayed enough guts to show we might get something
out of this year.

Monday, 9 September 2013

The sunshine gives in and rainclouds open just as I start
cycling to the Marshes for the first game back after what has been actual
summer.

I don't want that to be a omen, I think, but it sure feels
like one. Summer's gone, Sunday defeat is back.

But it's just a shower, and it's a great day for football.
Recreativo are down a division and it feels good to be back, it feels like a
weight is lifted. There's even new kit.

And there's a lot of us. A squad of fifteen feels luxurious.
Not that we get much of a chance to say hello to the new faces, barely enough
time for warm-up giving a more familiar sense of what it is to turn out for
Reccy.

The first half gets underway with us playing into the wind.
So nature, and some true early season touches, keep us on the backfoot for a
large part of the first 45 minutes.

Walthamstow, our opponents, are young, big and got to the
pitch about an hour before kick-off for drills. It shows, but Radu pulls off a
couple of great saves and their strikers misfire. A couple of blocks, and a
good shout for a penalty by Joe H later, and the whistle for half-time goes
with new centre-back Jamie struggling to find the ball in the long grass behind
our goal, from where we've done a lot of fetching.

Sunday wouldn't be Sunday without the messiah and we have
our own this week. Joao has snuck in during the first half, just to watch he
said, but can't resist the invite to play a half at centre-back.

A couple more subs and we start the second half in positive
mood. It seems a lifetime since we started a second half at 0-0.

With the wind we start to enjoy some time in Walthamstow's
half, new striker Payman (?) looks spritely and passes are being picked. Half
an hour to go and Reccy look most likely to register an opening day win.

Obviously, we concede at this point.

Twenty-five minutes go by, Joe H makes himself some space
and fires over in this time, Jimmy Lloyd dusts off his boots to line up along
side Joao in a defensive pairing circa 2010/11. We play some good football but
nothing quite comes off up top. It seems like Walthamstow are going to take the
three points on their short journey home.

But then, they hadn't read the script. A Second Coming isn't
a Second Coming without a goal. Joao Spinola pops up with a nifty header from
all of two yards to rescue a point.

In the remaining minutes we almost lose but for a heroic
block by impressive new boy Mark, Tom W knocks a man three times his size off
the ball, and Payman almost wins it for us but for a good save from their
keeper.

Final whistle goes, 1-1, a nice, conventional scoreline to
start the season. Given the amount of new faces it feels like a good result.
And the atmosphere is good too, grown up, we have something to build on.

After a quick pint with the gaffer, Mario and Jamie in
Homerton I text the absent Joe D the result, and ask him to guess who scored.

Sunday, 17 March 2013

Proper Sunday football. Rain from all angles. Mud in abundance. A two minute warm up. Comedy defending (us), comedy shooting in front of goal (them). Hoofing. Squelching. And praying for the final whistle with still ten minutes left on the clock. However, amongst all this, a pretty decent game of football was played out against a team that wiped the floor with us last week.

Today it was a different matter, back on home soil, putting up more or a fight, we definitely made more of a game of it. If it wasn't for a very dubious decision to award Rio a penalty late on for 'handball', we could of easily taken a point. However, the ref, the mud, the final 15 minutes of sheer fatigue on an awfully cold and wet day, coalesced into an unmovable object that we simply could not get through despite 100% effort from all involved. Mud soaked, absolutely shattered and frozen to the bone, yet having taken part in a full blown game of football, it was a relief when referee Neville put the whistle to his lips and we could all head home.

Monday, 11 March 2013

Away day at Battersea Park. Empty the car of Recreativo Juniors. Fill it with Recreativo Seniors. Sorry about the mud. Boo as we pass the Emirates. Head down Farringdon Road, via Holborn because of road works and follow the river. South West London. Battersea. Fulham. Think big boned boys rowing along the Thames. Ben Fogle. James Cracknell. Nordic types off time trialling around Richmond Park on gorgeous Pinarellos. South West London. Feels like another country. Let's get this game over with and get back to Hackney asap. The oppo are struggling in the league, it's going to be a formality.

The half of team that have turned up warm up, all of us wondering how many times across the pitch we're going to stretch and sprint. Some of us dare not show we're knackered already. We're joined by the late arrivals, Dan who last pulled on a Reccy shirt 5 years ago, Tom who's travelled to Tooting wondering where we all are and Joe and Aaron who have no time to warm up because the ref is calling for the captains.

A game of football ensues. We stare accusingly at Radu for the first two we let in and mumble the words 'slow', 'off' and 'his line', shake our heads, self satisfied that none of us are to blame. But the truth is we don't even get into their half. Jimmie G hops off after his calf muscle goes 'pop!' and Jimmy L's mysterious buttock injury holds out until half time. Tom P comes on and makes a fight of it in midfield, despite the mud bath. We let in another six, score two ourselves and pray the ref will blow his fucking whistle so we can all head home. He shows mercy and off we trudge. Nothing to say. Cold. Extremely cold. Shell shocked we stumble back to the car, desperate to fall into the arms of wives and girlfriends, desperate for sympathy, some hot dinner and telly. We get stuck in traffic on Holloway Road for what seems forever as the radio commentator blurts out that Suarez has put one past Spurs. Could the day get any fucking worse?!Gregg M is on kit duty. Maybe after this defeat maybe he should just burn it? We feel for him as he has a house full of visitors. Wonder if he gives them the full account. 'Tell them we won 2-1 and you scored' is our advice.Despite it all, we'll be back next week. Back on home soil with vengeance on our minds. Sort of.Team: Radu Atlas, Mario Pisano, Kelvin Brown, Jimmy Lloyd, Jimmie Gregory, Daniel Hall, Joe Haley, Joe Dunthorne, Jordan, Aaron Gayle, Sam Ahiadevor. Subs: Tom Perret, Gregg Morgan.

Tuesday, 5 March 2013

JG writes: At last, a victory! And I guess a victory in sorts for all of us who made it down to the back streets of Tooting, some of us getting lost and arriving at the cemetery instead of the playing fields. Still, when we did finally make it, we discovered a fabulous little pitch surrounded by back-to-back houses and gardens. Despite a generous slope and being a little rough around the edges, this little oasis of green behind a grubby high street had a definite charm all of its own. A perfect arena for Sunday league football.

For those of us who had made such an effort to find the place, we were determined to give it a real go today. We started brightly, kicking downhill, yet despite bossing the first half, went in at half time at 1-1 (a sliced deflected own goal from a corner no less by...ahem...yours truly. Hooray! I was at least on the score sheet once more....followed by a Joe Haley strike for Reccy just on half time).

Second half, uphill, we found it a little tougher going. However, we dug our heels in and kept at it, defending set pieces, pushing forward, trying to keep hold of the ball. Our only major scare was when Radu picked the ball up from a back pass - luckily Sandmere blasted the ball wide from the resulting free kick and shortly after Joe H got his second. On came sub Sam, who arrived at half time after wandering the streets desperate to find us, and duly slotted home a third goal for Reccy.

A late near post header for Sandmere made it 3-2 in our favour and the last few minutes saw some first class Recreativo defending ensuring a trip down to the back streets of nowhere was worth it. Superb!

Back home to Tottenham beating Arsenal, a long soak in the bath before Shepherd's Pie, a bottle of gorgeous Rioja and legs turning to jelly half way through Countryfile. What a fabulous way to spend a Sunday. Well played everyone!

Monday, 25 February 2013

No proper goalie. Missing shirts. Mismatched bits of kit. No one really in charge. A pitch furthest away from the dressing room. And against opposition who are standing in a circle clapping their captain's inspirational pre-warm up team talk. For fucks sake! With so many new players of late, emails flying about about management, team selection, responsibilities about paying the ref (who ever he is this week), Whats App and Teamstuff thrown into the mix, most of us take to the pitch just about remembering each other's names....

However, a half decent game of football develops, (the decent half from Clapham). Tom P and Tom W take turns in goal and both do an admiral job considering the amount of shots that pepper our goal. However, whatever obstacles Recreativo have faced with a constantly changing team, everyone out there gives their all again today. It's been a pretty disastrous season (so far) in terms of league results - but if we worried about that we'd have given this up ages ago. Yet with seven games left to go, plenty of players still wanting to play, the sunshine and good times and summer training sessions just around the corner, who knows, maybe Recreativo can celebrate ten years in this league with a new kit, a bright future and even some points on the board.

Back home with the dirty kit, to PSG vs Marseille on the box and a bottle of red wine to washes away the aches and pains. Time to look up the venue for next week's match....Earlsfield. Is that even in London? See ya there....

Monday, 4 February 2013

There's no 'Recreativo vs Lyric Celtic' chalked up on the Hackney Marshes Centre blackboard. The geezer from the council's saying the pitch hasn't been paid for. There's no opposition and no ref. How do we explain this to the new recruits as they traipse across the barren pitches looking for us. Text from Jimmy L to Jimmie G: "I bet you've missed the constant state of low level matchday terror!".

We decide to take our favourite pitch, miles away from the dressing rooms. Could the re-generation of East London not have stretched to building a monorail from the changing rooms to the North Marsh?

Finally Celtic show, referee Neville blows the whistle and we are away. A very good game of footy ensues but we concede two goals after 25 mins and a killer header from a corner right on half time.

Tom P slots home a penalty (after the ref gave a hand-ball in our favour after the ball actually hits the Celtic defender's back!) and we're back in the game. A fourth Lyric goal late on belied the fact that we were very much in this game and the score somewhat flattered them. However, the new recruits looked half-decent, there's a renewed good vibe throughout the team and enough spirit and fight to get something out of the remaining matches coming up. Team: Radu Atlas, Steven, Dave Perrett, Joe Dunthorne, Kelvin Brown, Jimmie Gregory, Tom Perrett, Tom Winter, Joe Haley, Aaron Gayle, Rich. Subs: Mario Pisano, Gregg Morgan, Sam.

Sunday, 13 January 2013

JG writes: Last time I visited Wormwood Scrubs, it was to visit my son, on the first day of a two and a half year sentence for gentleman's fisticuffs at Tottenham-Arsenal. He told me he'd look out of the cell and watch the Sunday football spread out across the adjoining park and wish he was out there playing for Recreativo again. So it was with slight trepidation I walked up past the Victorian prison and onto the scarred muddy pitches, thinking about the boys banged up in there and appreciating the simple and relative freedom of driving across London to play a game of football on a freezing Sunday afternoon. Today's opponents: Bacardi Sagna in the Super Cup Quarter Final.

The opposition certainly worked out a lot quicker than us that the key to this game was to play the match on the flanks. That's where there was still enough grass to grip your studs into, stay upright and make headway. Otherwise, the pitch was a mud bath.

3-0 down after half an hour, we managed to pull back two goals (Joe H and Ben C getting on the score sheet) and downhill in the second half with the wind behind us, we made more of a game of it. Five minutes to go and renewed Recreativo pressure looked like a late equaliser was on the cards. However, a last minute opposition break resulted in another goal for Sagna. Game over.

Not the end of the world after another decent Recreativo performance. Plenty of new faces in the team and good vibes throughout. And at the end of the day that's what we all want. Still, a win wouldn't go a miss next game. Hard luck boys. Well played.

In particular, Radu — a “pre-revolution” cycling champion in
Romania — had a stormer in goal.

But that could just be down to the canister of “Goalkeeper
Glove Glue” we clocked him using before kick-off!

We might have lacked killer touch as 2013 started with
defeat.

But after the punch-ups and red cards of 2012 that could be
a good thing.

JG adds:No handbags, no fisticuffs, no yellow cards, no broken bones. Just an honest game of football on Hackney Marshes on a mild January afternoon. Nice.

Having been a way a while it was great to return to this hallowed turf and see plenty of new faces, as well as some of the old heads. And despite both teams making a full on contest of the match, crashing into tackles, (keeper Radu's early 50-50 slide out of goal into a Clapham forward early on springs to mind), both teams played this game in a great spirit.

The football was good, Tom in midfield in the heart of the action and Aaron and Joe Haley linked up well to set up Recreativo chances. This was a more equal game than the 10-0 drubbing we had inflicted on us a few seasons back. But Project Clapham are a well handy side, currently sitting pretty at the top of the league.

So a final 3-1 loss after a hard fought game wasn't too bad and surely if we continue with this decent football we'll pick up a fair few points before the season's end in March. Hard luck boys, but well played everyone.